This invention relates to a centrifugal liquid processing apparatus, and more particularly, to an improved apparatus for centrifugal apheresis, such as plasmapheresis or plateletapheresis.
In recent years the separation of whole blood into therapeutic components, such as red blood cells, platelets and plasma, and collection of those components has increased significantly. The separation is generally achieved in a centrifuge and is referred to as centrifugal apheresis.
In centrifugal processing, whole blood is delivered to a processing chamber where the blood is centrifugally separated into therapeutic components. The processing chamber is commonly bowl-shaped, rigid and disposable.
Presently whole blood is taken from a donor at a donation site and is then transported in a sterile container to a central processing laboratory where it is processed for separation and collection of the therapeutic components.
The apparatus used at the processing laboratory for centrifugal apheresis is bulky, expensive and usually not conducive for use at the donation site. However, on-site processing is becoming more popular since the time, handling and storage between donation and processing can be minimized. Furthermore, therapeutic component yield can be increased if processing for separation and collection is performed during donation. For example, in on-site processing greater quantities of platelets can be collected because greater quantities of whole blood can be processed for platelets and returned to the donor. Since the volume of blood being processed may vary and the chamber volume may vary during component separation and processing, the processing bowls and the apparatus which cooperates with the bowls must be capable of handling the varying volumes.
In U.S. patent application, Ser. No. 560,946 filed on even date herewith and entitled "Flexible Disposable Centrifuge Chamber", there is disclosed a flexible, variable-volume, bowl-shaped chamber which can be used in on-site processing apparatus.
It is the object of this invention to provide an apparatus for on-site centrifugal apheresis which is constructed for use in systems where the volume of biological fluids processed is variable.
It is another object of this invention to provide an apparatus for on-site apheresis which is convenient to use and of a lower cost to manufacture.
These and other objects of this invention will become apparent from the following description and appended claims.